Tuesday, December 23, 2008

After reading some impressive lists compiled by fans, critics, authors, editors, and publishers about this year's best Science Fiction works, I have decided to honor the best of my niche readings by presenting the newly-created Marooned Awards.

Here's how it works: If I were unfortunate enough to be marooned on the planet Mars for the next year, what works of Martian Science Fiction or Speculative Fiction published this year and which I read would I want marooned with me?

The Marooned Award is given to the best Science Fiction or Speculative Fiction work that is predominately about Mars or Martians in the each of the following categories: novel, novella or novelette, short story, flash fiction, and poem.

Without further ado, here are the nominees for the 2008 Marooned Awards:

"I'm an optimist. I discard all such dark tomorrows. I have faith in man as God and God as man; I believe we'll be immortal, seed the stars and live forever in the flesh of our children. That's my job as a writer -- to show man his basic goodness, to dramatize his struggle up and away from this planet." -- RB